State lifts temporary freeze on Arts funding

by: Jason Springer

Sat Dec 26, 2009 at 07:43:07 PM EST

New Jersey has lifted a temporary freeze on more than $12.4 million in grants for dozens of theaters, museums, groups and other arts organizations.

The New Jersey Council on the Arts had approved the grants this summer, but the funds were frozen three weeks ago as the state worked to overcome a growing budget deficit.

Overall, the council had approved 229 grants totaling $14.4 million. But as of early December, only $2 million had been distributed.

Treasury department spokesman Tom Vincz, who called the freeze part of a $400 million package of moves being made to offset an $800 million hole in the budget, also said in November that there would be a "rebalancing of that budget between now and Christmas, and we'll see what determinations are made once all the pieces are in place."

Following that apparent "rebalancing," the Department of State began processing the remaining payments this week and said groups across the state should soon receive their funding.